Method of making chair covers



June 5, 1956 T. MEDNECK METHOD OF MAKING CHAIR COVERS 2 Sheets-Shea t 1 Filed Feb. 18, 1954 CUSHION FRONIT BOX 10 INVENTOR. Z 'i A TT OR NE YJ June 1956 T. MEDNICK 2,748,839

METHOD OF MAKING CHAIR COVERS Filed Feb. 18, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r a I l/ A w I I 7L 7 I F k I l l I I I I l I l I I I I l 18 i l I I I I w I l I I s I 16-1 I L' L INS/DE I I I l I m EHWSEW I [PS I :70 INVENTOR.

40 135K116]? ecZzUifJ? ATTORNEYS,

United States Patent METHOD OF MAKING CHAIR COVERS Tillie Mednick, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application February 18, 1954, Serial No. 411,169

1 Claim. (Cl. 155-482) This invention consists of a novel method of producing custom fitting slip-covers for chairs of all sizes and configuration at greatly reduced cost and in considerably less time than previously required to make a custom fitting slip-cover.

Basically the method comprises a novel procedure for taking patterns directly from a chair to be provided with a slip-cover, whereby relatively unskilled operators may rapidly prepare extremely accurate patterns from which the slip-covers can be made by other operators who never see the chair.

The various details comprising this invention will be explained hereinafter.

With reference to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a pictorial representation of some of the resultant patterns which are prepared directly from the chair by tracing on a suitable sheet of material; and

Figure 2 is a pictorial representation of the opposite side of the sheet of material on which appears the remainder of the patterns prepared from the same chair, and illustrating further steps in this invention.

The art of making custom made slip-covers has not undergone any significant changes since its inception, because of the fact that there are literally hundreds and hundreds of styles of chairs and sizes of chairs, and it is not possible as a practical matter to prepare for sale as a finished article custom made slip-covers. The result is that under present practice, which has existed for decades, there are two types of slip-covers. The first type is the true custom fitted slip-cover whichis extremely expensive to make, and which, of course, is individually made for each chair.

The other type is known in the industry as a readymade slip-cover which is quantity produced for general sale, and which is relatively less expensive. The readymade type of slip-cover, however, has many disadvantages. In the first place it is made in a relatively few styles, determined of course, by the predominant occurrence of particular chair styles. Even in this case, however, these ready-made slip-covers are in most instances poor fitting, with the result that many mechanical adjuncts'have been incorporated into them in an effort to improve their fit. .By way of example, improvement in fit has been sought by the use of elastic panels and various forms of adjustable fastening devices, including complicated lacings. At best these accessories provide a poor approximation of a truly custom fitted slip-cover. With all these safeguards, the fit of'ready-made slip-covers is so poor that they are sold with the privilege of returning them, which returns run as high as titrenty-fivev percent.

' Anotherdisadvantage of the'readyqnade, so-called' custom fitted slip-covers, in addition to their availability in a limited range of styles, is the fact that they are available in but few fabrics patterns. Those skilled in this art appreciate that the range of fabric patterns suitable for slip-covers is limitless. The result is that providing a few patterns in readymade slip covers falls far short of meeting the publics desires and demands with regard to pattern range.

This situation has existed almost from the inception of this art, and it is the purpose of this invention to provide a quick method of constructing truly custom fitting slipcovers for all styles and sizes of chairs and of any available fabric pattern. Indeed, in accordance with this invention there is no limit either to the style or the pattern in which truly custom fitting slip-covers can be made at a greatly reduced cost, using relatively unskilled labor.

One of the reasons for the high cost of truly custom fitted slip-covers is the high cost of the labor element. Skilled measurers for custom fitted slip-covers are paid on an average of $25.00 a day and by the methods they principally use are at the most capable of fitting three chairs a day. Their usual method of operating is to bring the selected fabric to the home of the chair owner and by tedious and highly skilled operations cut, fit and pin the fabric until it is in a condition to be returned to the factory for sewing and completion. This is a nuisance to the home owner, is a messy operation in that the operator leaves behind numerous fragments and threads of the fabric, and the final result in part is only as good as the skill of the operator. Incidentally, it takes a long time, and of course is an expensive procedure, to properly train the operator. Indeed, under present labor conditions it is very difficult to interest young people in becoming fitters of this kind, one of the strong reasons leading to this invention.

Obviously this procedure produces a great deal of waste and the fitted fabric when returned to the factory is held together literally with hundreds of pins. The factory operator in sewing up the fabric is greatly impeded in the sewing operation by the presence of these pins. They are successively removed as the seaming proceeds, and their removal frequently results in the misalignment of the seam edges, so that the resultant product does not have the fitting qualities it is supposed to have. Failure to properly remove the pins also frequently results in the breakage of the sewing needle, adding to the expense of the whole operations.

In accordance with this invention operators can be quickly trained to practice the method, and subject of course to travel conditions, can make patterns for as many as twenty chairs a day, with the result that it is quite economical to pay him at the same rate as custom fitters are paid, or at even a better rate.

The patterns are returned by the operator to the factory and then transferred to the fabric selected by the chair owner under conditions where great accuracy results, the amount of waste is reduced to practically nothing, and the sewing operations can proceed rapidly and with extreme accuracy so that the finished cover fits the chair with amazing accuracy. To emphasize the great advantages of this method it can be stated that a complex chair can be patterned by a trained operator in twenty minutes as against one-third to one-half a day by the old method.

The final result is that a chair owner may have a very fine fitting slip-cover, regardless of the chair style and size, without the use of accessories, in any fabric pattern available, at a very modest cost.

The invention is simplicity itself, notwithstanding the great advance which it accomplishes in this art. The operator takes-a sheet of suitable material, as for example a plain unpatterned piece of fabric, and fits it over clearly defined panels or sections of the chair and with marking crayons of various colors, outlines on the plain piece of fabric the exact shapes of the various panels or areas. As shown in Figure 1, the plain sheet of fabric PS is successively fitted over the different chair sections and those sections outlined in various colors thereon to give the exact pattern of those sections without the use of a measuring tape. The sheet PS with its patterns can be called a contour sheet. Thus, as shown in Figure 1, the rear side of the back of a particular chair is covered with the fabric PS and the outline thereof as indicated at 10, is traced on the sheet in a particular color. Since color cannot be shown in the attached drawing, a series of designating line patterns are employed to distinguish one pattern from the other. Thus the pattern for the rear of the back of the chair is shown in a solid line. The particular chair involved is a leather chair and has considerable thickness vertically of the back so that the fabric when draped over the back of the chair was also draped over the top of the back and the outline of the top was made, as shown by the pattern section 11 in Figure 1. In the actual pattern this particular section was made of the same color as the pattern 10, but it could have been made of a different color. Additional symbolism can be added to the pattern to emphasize the particular parts. For example, as illustrated in the case of the pattern section 11 by the arrow and the legend top. It is helpful that this arrow and legend be made in the same color as the pattern section 12.

The front face of the back of the chair, after the fabric sheet PS is draped thereover, has traced on it the pattern 14, which pattern was distinguished by a particular line in the drawing and therefore, indicated on the pattern by an arrow and the legend back.

The pattern for the seat of the chair is shown at 12. Of course, the fabric piece PS is draped over this area of the chair so that the operator can outline the shape of the seat with a crayon of still another color, as indicated by the broken line. In this case the fabric PS was draped over the front of the seat and the pattern section 13 was traced out, in this case in the same color, which pattern section represents the vertical height of the seat section of the chair. A further symbol, comprising an arrow and the legend seat may be used in the same color to point this portion of the pattern out more clearly. This chair has a T-shaped cushion and so the fabric piece PS was draped over it and the cushion outlined to provide the pattern 15. Here again, the additional legend comprising an arrow and the word cushion helps to delineate this pattern from the others. The pattern 20, which is in the same color as the pattern 15, represents the vertical height of the cushion, and was obtained by draping the fabric PS over the edge of the cushion and putting the pattern line on it in the same color as the pattern lines 15.

The fabric piece PS is then turned over to get the remaining patterns from the chair, which are shown at 16, 17 and 18. The pattern 16 is further designated by the legend inside arm; the pattern 17 by the legend outside arm; and the pattern 18 by the legend shoulder. The shoulder pattern represents the shape of the sides of the relatively thick back from the top to the point where the arms of the chair join with the back. Each of these patterns is, of course, prepared by draping the fabric piece PS over the particular section in question and transferring its outline to the fabric by tracing around its edge with a crayon of distinctive color.

Thus we find on a single sheet of suitable unpatterned material PS, using both sides thereof, extremely accurate outlines of all of the various sectional areas which together make up the chair shape. In particular cases it is of course apparent that other designating symbols can be used at various points on the pattern to indicate any other significant measurements which the operator from experience knows will be helpful in the factory in making the slip-cover. By way of example, if the slip-cover is to be provided with a skirt in the case of a chair having exposed legs, a suitable pattern such as the pattern 20 can be marked on the fabric piece PS to give the vertical height of the skirt.

The pattern sheet PS is then returned to the factory and the cloth cutters, operating on a fiat table top, transfer the patterns of Figures 1 and 2 to the fabric which has been selected by the chair owner. It is obvious that with this arrangement the various individual patterns can be intcrfitted or inter-related at the time of transfer to the chair fabric so that practically no waste results.

The transfer is effected, as illustrated in Figure 2, by superimposing on the selected patterned fabric 40, a sheet of carbon paper 30, with its transfer side next to the fabric. Oven this is laid the pattern sheet PS, properly positioned with respect to the individual pattern being transferred to minimize waste. With these three superposed layers smoothed out the cutter traces the pattern section in question with a suitable blunt instrument, causing a transfer of the pattern by means of the carbon paper directly to the patterned fabrics. The cutter then cuts out the various pieces and they are then taken by a sewing machine operator and sewed up in accordance with well known and suitable practice, including the use of piping if desired. Since the sheets of the various sections thus prepared are accurate, a skilled sewing machine operator can easily bring the edges to be seamed accurately together and rapidly sew them, because there are no pins to get in the way of operations.

The various fabric panels thus prepared are therefore quickly sewn up into the completed article which experience has demonstrated fits the chair as well and even better than an expensive custom made slip-cover made by the old tedious methods hereinbefore mentioned.

It will be understood that in order to facilitate placing the slip-cover on the chair and removing it for cleaning, that if desired a zipper fastener or other fastening device may be placed at some suitable and usual place in the slip-cover. Likewise, with respect to the cushion, it is apparent that one end of the completed envelope wil be provided with a similar fastening device so that the envelope can be opened to receive the cushion, then closed to hold it in place. These and similar expedients are, of course, well known in this art and are useful with this invention.

What is claimed is:

A method for making a slip cover for a chair comprising the steps of successively draping a sheet of suitable material over definitive portions of a chair, drawing the outline of said portions on said sheet to provide a contour sheet carrying distinguishable patterns of said definitive portions, arranging in superposed relation the contour sheet, a carbon tracing sheet and a piece of fabric from which the chair cover is to be made, tracing the patterns on said contour sheet and thereby transferring them individually to said piece of fabric, cutting the fabric into portions defined by said transferred pattern lines and uniting said portions to form the finished slip cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 911,594 Kaye Feb. 9, 1909 2,105,123 Krasnov Jan. 11, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS 205,506 Switzerland Sept. 1, 1939 636,018 France Jan. 6, 1928 

